1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates broadly to hydrotherapy spas, tubs and pools. More particularly, this invention relates to plumbing components of hydrotherapy spa jet systems that are adapted to be easily and quickly installed in a tub or pool.
2. State of the Art
Hot tubs and spas are generally relatively deep tubs formed by rotational molding, blow-molding or vacuum-forming. The tubs are provided with a number of fixtures including water jet assemblies. The appeal of hot tubs and spas is primarily due to the hydrotherapy provided by pressurized water jet assemblies recessed into the tub wall which provide a massaging action.
In particular, each hydrotherapy jet assembly is connected typically via flexible conduits to water and air manifolds which supply pressurized water and air to each jet assembly of the spa tub. The pressurized water flows through a hydrotherapy jet assembly having an expanded throat, i.e., a venturi. As the water flows through the expanded throat, the water at the center of the throat moves more rapidly than the water along the sides of the nozzle. As a result, a low pressure area is created at the center of the throat. Air is drawn from an inlet into the low pressure area and mixes with the water. The mixture of pressurized water and air thereby provide an aerated therapeutic jet of water.
Hydrotherapy jet fixtures are generally installed in a hole in the tub wall, with the fixture outlet directed into the interior of the tub. The rear of the fixture includes an air inlet and a water inlet connected to plumbing which separately provides air and water supplies. The connections of the jet fixture to the plumbing is typically a serpentine collection of flexible conduits which each must be coupled between a manifold and the respective jet fixtures at the time of spa plumbing installation. The conventional method of installation is undesirable for several reasons. First, all connections between plumbing fixtures (air manifold, water manifold, and spa jet fixtures) are made at the time of installation. This requires a large number of connections to be made at the installation site in typically cramped working conditions. Moreover, it may be difficult to reach and accomplish the connection due to the location of a particular jet fixture. Second, each plumbing connection (at manifold side and water and air inlets) must be glued or clamped in position by a skilled worker. If the connection is glued, several steps must be performed: opening the glue container, using an applicator to remove glue from the container, applying the glue to the outside of an end of a conduit, closing the glue container, inserting the end of the conduit into a respective slip fitting in a plumbing fixture, and holding the conduit relative to the plumbing fixture until the glue sets to secure the connection. This process must be repeated for each glued connection and can be time consuming and exhausting, particularly at hard-to-reach connections. Also, gluing requires good ventilation and a respirator should be used to avoid inhaling the glue fumes. If the connection is clamped, special tools are required and it may be difficult to utilize the tools for tightening the clamp about the conduit in the space available. Third, with respect to both gluing and clamping, the conduit and plumbing fixture are rotatably fixed after coupling. Therefore, if it is afterward desirable to direct the conduit at a different angle from the plumbing fixture, e.g., due to apparent stress being provided to the conduit, it is not possible to redirect the conduit to remove the stress without disassembling the connection and adding additional plumbing fittings, e.g., 45xc2x0 or 90xc2x0 elbows, or a combination thereof, to direct the conduit toward the desired location.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,141,804 to Pinciaro discloses an improved system which facilitates the rapid and easy connection of the fixtures to plumbing for air and water supplies. The system includes a fluid line connector having a plurality of flanges which are adapted to snap-fit onto the back of a spa jet fixture body and provide a fluid-tight seal with the fixture body without any tools. The system offers a marked improvement over the conventional practice of gluing and clamping. Nevertheless, there are several aspects for which improvement is sought. First, multiple sizes of spa jet fixture bodies are often used in a single spa tub hydrotherapy system. Depending on the size of the spa jet fixture body, a fluid line connector dedicated to that size of spa jet fixture must be used. This requires that multiple sizes of the fluid line connector be on hand for an installation, as well as increased costs for the tooling of each size connector. Second, if disassembly of the system is required, it cannot be performed without breaking several of the flanges of a component, thereby rendering that component unusable. Third, if one or more of the flanges inadvertently breaks, the integrity of the coupling will be lost.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a hydrotherapy jet system having a hydrotherapy fixture which can be quickly and easily connected to air and water plumbing.
It is another object of the invention to provide a single size fluid connector which may be coupled to multiple sizes of spa jet fixture bodies.
It is also an object of the invention to provide a hydrotherapy jet system which requires no tools for installation in the factory or at the job site.
It is an additional object of the invention to provide a hydrotherapy jet system which permits radial adjustment of a conduit relative to an inlet on the spa fixture.
It is yet a further object of the invention to provide a hydrotherapy jet system in which the components form a fluid tight seal and are not subject to breakage.
It is still another object of the invention to provide a hydrotherapy spa jet system in which the plumbing components can easily be disassembled from the spa fixture without damaging any of the components.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide a hydrotherapy spa jet system in which the plumbing components can be disassembled from the spa fixture for repair without necessitating draining water from the spa tub.
It is yet an additional object of the invention to provide a hydrotherapy jet system having a plumbing fittings which quickly and easily connect to each other in a fluid-tight manner, are glueless, and which can then be rotated 360xc2x0 relative to each other.
In accord with these objects which will be discussed in detail below, a hydrotherapy jet system is provided which generally includes a fixture body, a jet nozzle within the fixture body, and an air line connector coupled to the fixture body, and a water line connector coupled to the air line connector. In accord with one aspect of the invention, the air line connector is provided with structure adapted to couple about the outside of relatively small fixture bodies and about the inside of relatively large fixture bodies. As such, the air line connector is universal for multiple sizes of fixture bodies. The water line connector preferably couples to the rear of the air line connector. Preferably, the air and water line connectors may be rotated relative to the element to which each is coupled to facilitate assembly and plumbing.
According to another preferred aspect of the invention, couplings between the components; i.e., between the water line and air line connectors and between the air line connector and the fixture body, include several particular structural features. First, one component includes a small circumferential bead and the other component includes a small circumferential groove sized to receive the bead. The insertion of one component into the other causes a snap-fit interlocking of the bead in the groove and thus longitudinally locks the components together. While the components are longitudinally locked together, they may nevertheless be rotated relative to each other. Second, one component includes a circumferential channel, and an o-ring is provided in the channel. The o-ring is compressed when the components are longitudinally locked together to thereby ensure a fluid tight seal between the components.
According to yet another preferred aspect of the invention, the coupling portions of the components are complete tubular portions and do not include flanges. The materials from which the components are comprised have sufficient natural ability to deform to permit the bead on one component to move along the inner surface of another component and xe2x80x98snapxe2x80x99 into a corresponding groove. Moreover, the components may be disassembled from each other without damage to the components with the use of a disassembly tool. Furthermore, the disassembly tool operates in conjunction with the fixture body to create a seal that permits, if necessary, repair of the plumbing of the hydrotherapy jet system while the tub is filled with water. This saves substantial time (draining water from the tub and refilling the tub with water), and reduces service charges associated with the repair.
With the system of the invention, the ease and expediency with which a spa fixture body may be coupled to the appropriate plumbing at the installation site is improved. It will be appreciated that manifolds for water and air supply may be preassembled off-installation site, i.e., in the factory. The required number of appropriate diameter and length flexible conduits for the installation plumbing connections are assembled. The flexible conduits for the water manifold are secured to the second ends (those adapted for secure coupling to a flexible plumbing conduit) of water line connectors. Likewise, the flexible conduits for the air manifold are secured to second ends of air line connectors. With this project preferably completed at the factory, the invention permits installation at the assembly site to be greatly facilitated. The on-site installation process is substantially reduced in time and simplified, and no tools are required for the plumbing connections. Moreover, due to the universal nature of the air line connector, a fewer number of different components are required to be tooled for production and stored at the factory.